


Highlighting

by orphan_account



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: M/M, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-02
Updated: 2017-07-02
Packaged: 2018-11-22 05:56:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,876
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11373960
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Jongdae has to push a little for Baekhyun to stop keeping his feelings to himself.





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**Author's Note:**

> For Adriana.

Chanyeol almost spilled his drink on Baekhyun's shoulder while trying to adjust his beanie to cover his hair. 

"Yah, be careful," Baekhyun scolded him.

"Tell him to stop touching my hair," Chanyeol replied, signaling with his chin at Jongin, who had a grin on his face. 

"I can't believe you let him do that," Jongin got closer to Chanyeol, trying to make a move to remove his beanie. "It looks good though, like ice cream." 

"I already told you, it was a bet."

Baekhyun shook his head. Who was stupid enough to make a bet with Oh Sehun and let him play with his hair? Park Chanyeol, apparently. He wasn't really surprised. "Only headasses make bets with Sehun."

Chanyeol looked at him with wide eyes. "You once made a bet with him and got your hair dyed red."

Baekhyun laughed "Do you really think I would make a bet with him... and lose?" he took a sip of his drink and smiled "It was a promise, actually. I told him that he could dye my hair after his graduation."

"Wait," Jongin removed his hands from Chanyeol's head "so you... got a dye job... from a stylist... for free." 

Baekhyun went silent for a second, then retorted "I paid him with moral support for years."

"That explains why you didn’t end up looking like this mess over here," Jongin signaled at Chanyeol whose face looked done with their comments at that point. 

"At least I didn't end up with an allergic reaction, unlike Jongdae." 

Baekhyun froze as Jongin's laugh filled the silence for him. 

What happened to Jongdae's holy hair? What did Sehun do to it?

Baekhyun tried to ask Chanyeol what he was talking about, but his lanky friend was already leaving the kitchen. 

"Wait! What happened to Jongdae's hair?" Baekhyun tried to act casual but the hint of cheekiness in his friend's smile told him that he was being too obvious. 

"He got an allergic reaction, I'll tell you the story later, I need a cig now," and with that, he opened the back door and let the cold air hit Baekhyun's cheeks for a second, and then he was left alone.    

He wandered around the party for a while, trying to catch up with everyone until a familiar laugh startled him. He immediately turned around in his steps and tiptoed through the crowd looking for-

"Jongdae!" Minseok's voice responded and a few people turned their heads to the bunch of friends who were hugging ecstatically, clearly glad to find each other at the party. 

From where he was stood he could see Minseok's face but not Jongdae's, so he walked to where they were, his pace a little too enthusiastic.

"Are you guys having a family reunion without me?" he approached them with a smile. 

Minseok just stared at him while Jongdae turned around, a cap hiding his hair. Baekhyun pressed his lips trying to avoid staring because... Jongdae looked handsome. 

"It's a kim-only family reunion," announced Minseok, trying to seem pleased but with fondness in his eyes. "Brats that don't answer my texts are not allowed." 

Baekhyun really wanted to focus his attention on the now laughing man in front of him but instead lowered his head trying to avoid smiling too fondly and replied with the same excuse he was giving everyone that complained to him for disappearing for a whole week "I was working on my next exhibition, sorry."

A hand was placed on his shoulder and Baekhyun lifted his head to find beautiful eyes staring at him. "We know you work hard, we're proud of you," Jongdae said with a smile and Baekhyun felt like blushing. 

He did not blush. He was a grown man and he had more important things to do. Get a look at Jongdae's hair for example. 

"Take off your cap," Baekhyun demanded, trying to stay still to keep Jongdae's hand on his shoulder for as long as possible. 

Jongdae immediately brought his free hand to his hat to stop Baekhyun from trying to take it off. "No!" he whined. 

"Oh, I heard about that," Minseok said, "Sehun told me that you had a... uh." 

"Allergic reaction?" Baekhyun supplied. 

Jongdae smiled while sighing in defeat. "I’m allergic to whatever Sehun used while bleaching my hair."

"You bleached your hair?" Minseok asked incredulously while Baekhyun asked himself the same question quietly in his head, yet there was a shocked expression on his face.

"The idea was getting a pastel rainbow like Chanyeol's," he explained. 

"That is a dumb ass idea." Minseok interrupted and Baekhyun nodded to agree. 

"Shh, it was Sehun's but I couldn't last twenty minutes with that thing in my hair, my scalp was... on fire!"

Baekhyun could not believe that this was the man he daydreamed about. "Do you have any hair left at least?" Baekhyun asked.

"It's..." Jongdae bit his lips, "blonde."

Yes, making a bet with Sehun was a terrible idea. Losing that bet was even worse. But Sehun wasn't the only winner this time. Blond Jongdae was a gift to Baekhyun sent from the heavens. 

"Take off that cap!" Baekhyun insisted, stepping closer and trying to get Jongdae's hands out the way. "Minseok, help me!" he yelled when he was struggling too much. They were catching everyone's attention around them but luckily they didn't fail their mission - a couple of seconds later Minseok was holding Jongdae's arms, who was shrinking in embarrassment and trying to avoid flashing his hair to everyone. 

Baekhyun stood there, with Jongdae's cap in his hand, loss of words at the bright mop of hair in front of him. The next thing he felt was a kick in his shin. 

"Fuck you, give it back," Minseok had released Jongdae's grip and the newly blond was not happy. "Come on, give it back, my hair is a mess," he begged.

"It looks good," Baekhyun reassured him, almost speechless and staring in awe while giving him his cap back.

Jongdae rolled his eyes and asked them to get him a drink. They complied but Minseok got hooked up on a conversation in the kitchen and Baekhyun left without him, and a moment later he and Jongdae were sitting on the stairs with cans of beer in their hands. 

"It does look good," Baekhyun mentioned again after a while.

"Leave it."

Baekhyun rested his head on Jongdae's shoulder. It was his way of saying "sorry" without using words, but he was also looking for a way to get comfortable. His whole body felt heavy after just three drinks. The rumors were right - Byun Baekhyun was a lightweight. He was also a clingy drunk, but Jongdae didn't seem to mind. 

"You once told me that your favorite thing about me was my hair," Jongdae said, so softly that Baekhyun barely heard him with all the noise that was surrounding them.

Baekhyun knew that it was a lie. He didn't remember saying it but, knowing him he might have mentioned it while trying to avoid uncomfortable conversations as "your eyelashes" might have sounded weird in any context, unless it was a romantic one and he would never forget to have a romantic conversation with Jongdae. 

"And...?"

"I guess you'll have to find another thing to envy about me now that it's ruined."

Then he remembered. Yes, the night in which the topic of the conversation was things they envied about the other. Apparently, according to Jongdae Baekhyun had really practical hands. That set off an interesting discussion. 

"It's not ruined," Baekhyun started playing with Jongdae's fingers, his drink now forgotten, "and it won't be hard to find something else, I envy your fast metabolism too."

"What every guy wants to hear!" 

Baekhyun forced himself to keep playing with his fingers and pretend that the comment didn't affect him. He was slowly getting used to Jongdae's teasing, the way he flirted with everyone, pretending to get insulted when one of his friends didn't flirt back. For Baekhyun, it wasn't just a game.

"What? Do you want me to flirt with you now? Is that what bleach did to your brain?" he regretted not taking the chance as soon as the words left his mouth. 

Jongdae remained silent for a long time and got up after what felt like hours. "Let's go home, it's getting late and this party is dying." 

Baekhyun took the hand that he was offered to him and got up, swallowing an "It wasn't even alive to start with" comment because his throat felt dry. 

"If you're too sleepy you can stay in my room," Jongdae suggested, "I doubt Minseok will be back tonight."

Baekhyun nodded, still holding on to Jongdae's hand and they left the party. 

Jongdae's apartment wasn't that far away but the cold air made their walk feel longer. 

"Oh, the last time you stayed over you left your orange hoodie at mine," mentioned Jongdae, walking so close to Baekhyun that his shoulder brushed against his occasionally in an attempt to feel the heat of his body. Baekhyun was still a little bit tipsy, the alcohol keeping him warm, and that was also the reason why it took him almost a minute to respond. 

"Yes! I saw your Instagram story, why were you wearing it?" 

Jongdae replied with a nervous laugh and changed the subject, "What a way to end the night, Byun Baekhyun! You get to take a hot blond home!"

Baekhyun wanted to make him shut up. Softly. 

"Technically you're the one who's taking me home." 

"So you're not denying that I'm hot?" 

And that was the thing about Jongdae, he didn't know how his jokes affected Baekhyun. Oh, well, both could play that game. 

"No, having a fast metabolism is hot!" 

"Fuck you!"

Baekhyun laughed, he could already see Jongdae's apartment. Finally, Baekhyun thought.

But before they reach it, Baekhyun needed to ask him something. It couldn't wait. He wasn't strong enough to ask it in a closed, all too familiar space. 

"Why were you so insistent about getting compliments out of me today?" 

Jongdae didn't look in the least bit surprised when he heard that question. Either he saw it coming or he was hoping Baekhyun would ask it. 

"Because..." and, all of sudden, Baekhyun's stomach felt hollow. Jongdae stopped, right there in the dark and cold street to look at him. "I care about what you think about me. What you say about something that makes me feel insecure could make it better or worse." 

And there he was, the man Baekhyun was head over heels in love with. A brave man. A genuine man. Baekhyun felt like a boy next to him. 

"Use your words, Baekhyun," requested Jongdae after not getting an answer. 

But Baekhyun didn't have any words left. 

"What are you waiting for? What other signals do you need apart from me confessing how insecure and, at the same time, secure you make me feel?" 

"It's striking." Baekhyun stuttered, pretty sure his cheeks were bright red at that point. "You're strikingly beautiful. But now it shines, just like you." 

And Jongdae smiled at his cheesiness. 

"Please don't be..." he continued "please."

"Use your words, Baekhyun," Jongdae said softly. 

But Baekhyun didn't have any words left. 

So he kissed him.  


End file.
